(I personally find this information almost as offensive as Billy Tauzin's leap into the arms of Big Pharma from the arms of our government as former chairman of the house committee overseeing pharmaceutical in 2004. AND did anything untoward happen to Mr. Tauzin? I am sure he is still laughing all the way to the bank...This egregious act is no longer on anyone's radar screen.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/indust...ugs-usat_x.htm

Posted 12/15/2004 9:04 PM Updated 12/16/2004 12:14 AM
Tauzin switches sides from drug industry overseer to lobbyist
By William M. Welch, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON — "Retiring Rep. Billy Tauzin, R-La., who stepped down earlier this year as chairman of the House committee that regulates the pharmaceutical industry, will become the new president and CEO of the drug industry's top lobbying group."


And now, Julie Gerberding, MD, former head of the CDC:
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5BK2K520091221

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - "Dr. Julie Gerberding, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was named president of Merck & Co Inc's vaccine division, the company said on Monday..."

Were the climate of suspicion about workings of the pharmaceutical industry not at such a fevered pitch, I could understand Merck wanting someone with Dr. Gerberding's experience to head their vaccine group (though her administrative overseeing abilities are questioned later in this post) . Her appointment makes me wonder why she moved the vaccine safety group into the Office of the Director at CDC? Were vaccine side effects aggressively looked at? Given that a recent assessment of her agency revealed a true lack in administrative competence in relation to vetting medical experts for conflicts of interest, I would think her administrative skills would receive a very low grade, though her actions in this regard certainly advantaged the pharmaceutical industry.
from NYTimes
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/18/he...icy/18cdc.html
"...A new report finds that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did a poor job of screening medical experts for financial conflicts when it hired them to advise the agency on vaccine safety, officials said Thursday... the inspector general of the Department of Health and Human Services, found that the centers failed nearly every time to ensure that the experts adequately filled out forms confirming they were not being paid by companies with an interest in their decisions.


The report found that 64 percent of the advisers had potential conflicts of interest that were never identified or were left unresolved by the centers.

... little attention has been paid to the potential conflicts of advisers to the C.D.C., even though that agency’s committees have significant influence over what vaccines are sold in the United States..."

(Even if Dr. Gerberding's appointment is a good thing for everyone concerned, the flagrant disregard for the appearance of this appointment is reprehensible. What a revolving door exists for those leaving plum government jobs to rush into positions with the Big Business entities with whom they interfaced. Difficult to believe now that she Really looked out for my best interest. This makes it difficult for those scientists and researchers who really do have society's best interest as their primary motivation. As a scientist friend noted recently, "doing science is very hard work. I wish those in positions of power did not make it even harder by their obvious self interest moves. " I will step down from my soap box now. madelyn)